I propose to take Questions Nos. 562, 566, 641, 648 and 650 together.
I received the report of the working group I established to examine defects in housing at the end of July. The group’s terms of reference were focused on fire safety, structural safety and water ingress defects in purpose-built apartment buildings, including duplexes, constructed between 1991 and 2013 and the report is available on my Department’s website at www.gov.ie/en/publication/97c19-working-group-to-examine-defects-in-housing/
The level of consultation and engagement that the Working Group undertook with stakeholders and interested parties both here and abroad was extensive. As a result, the report is rich in data regarding the nature and scale of defects as well as the cost of addressing defects. The Working Group’s recommendations along with the evidence gathered and options for potential supports contained in the report will be of considerable assistance in informing next steps. My Department is currently giving the report full consideration and I will, in consultation with Government colleagues, develop a plan to address the situation that many homeowners find themselves in through no fault of their own.